Top antioxidant-rich foods

From South Beach Diet:

Trying to add more disease-fighting antioxidants into your diet? The following 20 foods contain the highest antioxidant concentration.

1. Pomegranates
2. Small red beans (dried)
3. Wild blueberries
4. Red kidney beans
5. Pinto beans
6. Blueberries (cultivated)
7. Cranberries
8. Artichokes (cooked)
9. Blackberries
10. Prunes
11. Raspberries
12. Strawberries
13. Red Delicious apples
14. Granny Smith apples
15. Pecans
16. Sweet cherries
17. Black plums
18. Gala apples
19. Black beans (dried)
20. Plums

Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that help prevent heart disease, cancer, and the effects of aging. Little is actually known about how antioxidants work or what makes them function best. Scientists believe that some antioxidants are more potent than others, and their potency can be affected by cooking or digestion. For example, the antioxidants in blueberries lose their potency when cooked, while the antioxidants in tomatoes become more potent when cooked.

So use this list to find antioxidant-rich foods, but for the best nutritional outcome, eat them in a wide variety. (Note that all the foods listed above are acceptable on the South Beach Diet; fruits would be introduced starting in Phase 2.)

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